Editor's note: This column first appeared Sunday as an exclusive for our print readers.
In his first summer as Arizona's co-offensive coordinator, 32-year-old Seth Littrell faces an imposing challenge. He is making final preparations to match his X's and O's in a conference that overflows with million-dollar offensive minds.
Littrell, who will call most of Arizona's plays, is the young guy in a league with reputable offensive gurus such as Oregon's Chip Kelly, UCLA's Norm Chow, Washington's Steve Sarkisian, Oregon State's Mike Riley and Cal's Jeff Tedford.
But there is nothing Littrell will face this season, no defense and no opposing coach, as challenging as what he faced at University Medical Center in April, May and June.
The first child of Seth and Becca Littrell was born with a significant heart problem. Three weeks after Tripp Littrell was born, he required a 10-hour surgery to transpose the aorta and the pulmonary artery. He was in intensive care for six weeks, during which time it was understandably difficult for his father to think much about football.
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It was frighteningly similar to the summer of 2009 when Luke Tuiasosopo, the newborn son of UA defensive line coach Mike and Kathy Tuiasosopo, required surgery and extended intensive care time for a lung and pulmonary hypertension problems.
"It was scary and sad," UA coach Mike Stoops said. "For a young couple to go through what Seth and Becca went through, added to the pressure of the job, it was a very difficult time. But it looks like we're going to have a happy ending."
Much like Luke Tuiasosopo's strong recovery last year, Tripp Littrell has responded positively and has been home for about two months.
"Tripp is healthy, gaining weight and smiling, acting like a normal child," Littrell said on Saturday." He's been through the wringer, but after a lot of prayers, after the support from those on the football staff, we have been blessed. He's just a joy."
It should be considered the UA's first football victory of the year.
THE CLEVELAND WILDCATS
Former UA quartet starting one game for Indians may be a first in major-league history
Major League Baseball has been unable to determine if one college team had ever before had four former players simultaneously in the starting lineup of a big-league team.
That happened twice last week when the Cleveland Indians started ex-Wildcats Shelley Duncan, Jordan Brown, Trevor Crowe and Jason Donald.
And it might grow to five. Former Wildcat left-hander Eric Berger is pitching for Cleveland's Class AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, and has a 2.87 ERA in three starts.
Brown, a three-time minor-league all-star who lives in Oro Valley, was the final member of the Indians' starting group to arrive in the big leagues.
On a team bus to a game in Toronto last week, Brown was handed a microphone and instructed to sing "Don't Stop Believin' " by Journey.
There was another UA-Cleveland link at Progressive Field on Saturday night. Ex-UA Final Four point guard Kenny Lofton was inducted into the Indians' Hall of Fame. He was accompanied by, among others, his former Wildcat basketball teammate Harvey Mason. Lofton played in five All-Star Games while the Indians center fielder. Lofton and Mason work in the film and recording industry in Los Angeles.
SHORT STUFF
Leverenz now a medal contender for '12 Games
Sahuaro grad Caitlin Leverenz beat two-time world record-holder Katie Hoff to win the U.S. national championship in the 400 individual medley Thursday in California. Only 19, entering her sophomore year at Cal, Leverenz swam a personal-record 4:35.60, cutting three seconds off the time that barely left her off the 2008 Beijing Olympics team. Not only does Leverenz make the USA's Pan Pacific Games roster, she becomes the American favorite and medal contender for the 2012 London Olympics. Keep your eye on her. … Pima College's top two-sport athlete of 2009-10, CDO grad Ryan Retz, won't return for the Aztecs' football and baseball seasons. While pitching and playing first base this summer for Glens Falls in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, Retz attracted interest from college scouts. Last week, he accepted a scholarship to High Point (N.C.) University. He will be missed at Pima. … UA softball coach Mike Candrea is in such demand as a speaker that he has crossed over into men's softball. Candrea will be a featured speaker next weekend at the International Softball Congress world championships in Midland, Mich., a 48-team competition of the top fast-pitch teams. … Former Pima, UA and Catalina High slugger Shaun Cooper had a productive summer in Virginia. He was named to the All-Valley Baseball League first team, leading the league in homers (13). Cooper will play at Pac-10-bound Utah next spring, coached by ex-UA reliever and assistant Bill Kinneberg.
Marana's Swan now on national radar for hoops
Marana junior Jamee Swan, who has been offered basketball scholarships by Arizona and UCLA, among others, further solidified herself on the national radar this summer. Playing for the Phoenix-based Arizona Elite, Swan is ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2012 by ESPN/HoopGurlz. "She has improved as much as any of the elite players in her class," ESPN writes. Her mother, Marana basketball coach Diane Swan, says Jamee also will play volleyball for the Tigers this fall. … Although he is 29, former CDO first baseman/outfielder Chris Duncan might be at the end of his baseball career. He recently left the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (he was hitting .191) to seek medical help for a chronic neck injury. Duncan hit 55 homers for the St. Louis Cardinals, helping them win the 2006 World Series, before being disabled for much of 2008-09. … Tucson has placed 39 of its former high school players in the major leagues. No. 40 could well be ex-Tucson Badger Tom Wilhelmsen, whose compelling comeback story was documented last summer when he resumed his pitching career with the Tucson Toros. Now 26, after encountering disciplinary issues and leaving baseball for five years, Wilhelmsen has 41 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings, with a 1.72 ERA, for three Seattle Mariners farm clubs. … The surface at McKale Center has been given a needed face-lift. The unneeded, way too large ARIZONA under the center court A logo has been eliminated. Lute Olson's signature has been painted onto the court in front of the UA bench, and both foul lanes have been painted navy blue. It looks more like a big-league facility now and nothing that resembles the amateur paint jobs at UNLV and Boise State.
MORE SHORT STUFF
Sabino, UA grad Tyler on rise in Nationwide
Sabino High grad Nate Tyler literally came out of nowhere to put himself on the leader board at the Nationwide Tour's ongoing Wichita Open. He shot a tournament-tying low 63 on Friday (nine birdies), followed that with a 68 Saturday and is eight shots out of the lead going into today's final round. Tyler is now in position to play in the final 10 Nationwide events this year. The UA grad qualified for Wichita for showing up at the Mexico Open in late June and finishing 36th despite never having seen the course and playing with a caddie who spoke no English. Tyler's former UA teammate, Nate Lashley, won the Colorado Open and $23,000 two weeks ago. … Austin Smith, who was a key big man on Ironwood Ridge's basketball state championship team in 2007-08, will resume his career this week. He will accompany NAU's basketball team on an NCAA-sanctioned, five-game "Battle of the Border" against Canadian teams beginning Wednesday. Smith played at Liberty before transferring to NAU. … Long-time Tucson educator Dan Reynolds, selected to the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame last week, was a track and field official at the 1984 and 1996 Olympics. He has such international clout that he is among the officials accepted to work at the London stop on the European Diamond Tour this week in England, at which Tucsonan Bernard Lagat is to run the 3,000 meters. … UA athletic director Greg Byrne said groundbreaking for Arizona Stadium's $85 million North End Zone project might not began right after the season, as his predecessor, Jim Livengood, hoped. "When you're talking gifts of the magnitude of what we need to make that project happen, it's not just going to be one or two conversations," he said. However, an architect has been hired and general contractors are to be interviewed next week.
MY TWO CENTS
Ex-Cat lineman Bell makes mark as community leader
About 1,000 coaches from various Tucson youth football leagues attended the annual Larry Smith Coaching Clinic on Friday evening at Tucson High School. Sahuaro coach Scott McKee and ex-Santa Rita coach Jeff Scurran were featured speakers.
But the man who stood out was Tanner Bell, a former UA offensive lineman who organized and operated the clinic, almost single-handedly.
Now a financial analyst, Bell, 28, didn't have the best timing during his UA days. He arrived and played under John Mackovic and was then injured and almost lost in the transition to Mike Stoops.
For Bell to take charge of something as valuable as youth football coaching, to see it through and give back to the community as he tries to get established in the business world, says a lot about his character.
At Arizona, Bell was never an NFL prospect. He has become something better: a community leader.
